Mechanism for stamping large hot metal sheets



W. A. LACKE MECHANISM FOR STAMPING LARGE HOT METAL SHEETS Apr. 17, 1923.

Filed May 22; 19 21 3 Sheets-Sheet fzvsnfor- WZZzZzm A. .Zac/fe;

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Apr. 17, 1923. 1,451,879

W. A. LACKE MECHANISM FOR STAMPING LARGE HOT METAL SHEETS Filed May 251921 S SheetsS heet 2 JrwerzZZr' willz'amflzacfe; "J,

' Apr. 17, 1923. 1,451,879

w. A. LACKE MECHANISM FOR STAMPING LARGE HOT METAL SHEETS Filed May 231921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr 177, i923,

ii a r WILLIAM A. LAGKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEGHANISDI FOB STAIVIPII IG' LARGE HOT IEETAL SHEETS.

Application filed May 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. LAoKn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for StampingLarge Hot Metal Sheets, of which the following is aspecification.

This ii'ivention relates to mechanism for handling large hot metalsheets, such as are used for corrugated freight car ends from the timethey come from the heating furnace until they have passed thru and'removed from the corrugated or other stamping machine and to do it insuch a way that a large production can be handled one after the otherwith accuracy and precision. as to the placing and removing of theplates and with comfort to the operator.

The invention consists in mechanism for attaining the foregoing objectswhich is comparatively economically constructed, is very satisfactory inuse, and is not readily liable to get out of order. More particularlythe invention consists in many features and details of construction morefully set forth in the specification and claims.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a plan view showing aportion of the plateheating furnace claimed in a prior application Serial No. 466,184, filedMay 2 1921; the (:orrugating press; the mechanism for delivering a sheetfrom the furnace to the corrugating press; the mechanism for therecentering it and finally the mechanism. for

' removing the plate from the press.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional detail view showing the press membersin the operation of corrugating a sheet.

Figure 4: is a detail view showing the withdrawing tongs in the positionwhich they assume as they start to grip a sheet.

Figure 5 is a changed position View of Figure 4.- showing the tongsgripping the sheet.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of means for positioning the plate in thecorrugating press.

Figure is a side view of the mechanism of Figure 6 in withdrawn positionready to let a plate pass on to the press and starting to position theplate before corrugating or to remove it after corrugating.

1921. Serial No. 471,702.

Figure 8 is a changed position view of the parts of Figure 7 with theplate in position for corrugating.

Figure 9 shows the major portion of the parts of Figure 8 in theposition assumed after a plate has been corrugated after the mechanismshown has lifted the plate off from thedie so'that it is ready forremoval from the press.

Figure 1 shows approximately one half of a furnace 12 thru which sheetmetal plates 14iare successively fed thru positions 14:, 143 to deliveryposition 14 by the mechanism fully set forth in said prior application.On arriving at position 14: plate 1 rests upon supports 16 and isadapted to be moved to the left as viewed in Figure 1 along tracks 18 tothe position 16! where it is between corrugation forming: die members2022, Figure 3 ready to have corrugations 24 (Figure 9) impressedthereon.

In order to move the plate 14c from position 14- to position 14, a pairof track rails 26, are provided as shown in Figure 1, extending alongthe end of the furnace parallel to the rails 18, heretofore referred to.these rails 26 travels a car 30 driven by any suitable means as forinstance eleci trio motor 32. Extending from the side of this car overcenter line of rails 18 is a girder mechanism 3 1', provided with apivoting shaft on which is journaled a plate pushed frame mechanism 38normally sustained in full line position by a counterweight 4'20. Thisframe mechanism 38 is provided on its edge, adjacent to plate 141 to bemovech with a set of notches 42 normally movable horizontally in theplane of plate 14-, with the result that when the operator starts motor32 to move car 30 to the left as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 notches 42engage the plate 14 to force the plate off from support 16 on to andalong rails 18 until theplate reaches almost exact position over diemember 20. Because of the fact that the level of this die is below rails18 the plate 14L drops down 01f from the ends of the rails 18 and framemember 3 8 partially follows it, in its fallby tiltlng it to the dottedline position of Figure ,2. As soon as the plate has taken its newposition on the die 20 the operator reverses motor 32, thus withdrawingthe pushlng mechanism carried by the car 30, from the dotted line to thefull line position of ure 2, where the apparatus is ready to talre careof thenew plate 14 coming out of the furnace 12.

In ordinary practice this pushing mechanism operated by car will put theplate let within approximately a half an inch of correct position at llbut this is not accurate enough as it is very desirable and essential toavoid the expense of trimming a large amount of metal oil from theplate, ,t'or all metal so out ofi is substantially waste. or thisreason. it is necessary to provide means for accurately positioning theplate.

This mechanism includes four air cylinders 44 placed on opposite sidesof the die 20 andon opposite sides of the line of travel of the plate asit enters the corrugating press and an additional one cylinder l6 placedat the entrance end of the press below the level of track 18 so that itis out of the way of-pla-te 1%. as it travels into the die press, in themanner described.

Each of these cylinders is provided with a conventional form of piston48 controlled "by the admission and withdrawal thru'air controlpipebOunder the control of an operator. Each piston t8 drives a piston rod 52which extends outward from the end of the cylinder toward the die pressand carries a crosshead 5st guided by a rod 56. Crossheadb carries onits face which is away from the cylinder a notched block '60 having arelatively long projecting lowered wedge finger 62 adapted to travel onthe upper surface of the edge portion A the die 20. The travel of eachof these jaws is such that when in the position of Figure 7 they areentirely out of the way of: plate 14, which is being moved on to OIcOllffrom die 20, and that when moved to the position of Figure 8 in the actof placing the plate, the bottom 66 of the notches engage the edges ofthe plate to accurately position it onthe press and that when after theplate has been stamped as shown in Figure 9, they are again moved. fromthe position of Figure 7 to that of Figure 9. with these lower sharpfingers 62 wedn'ed under the plate the result is that the plate islittedby the inward movement of these blocks 60 from the position of Figures 3and 4 to that of Figure 9 where the plate ran-- tirely clears thecorrugations in the die and can be removed.

YVhenthe operator has manipulated cylinders 4st to accurately positionthe plate over the die 20, he manipulates the press by mechanism nothere involved. to lower the die 22 from the position of Figure 2 whereit contacts and corriipgates the plates as shownin Figure 3, and thenwithdraws it. The operator then again'manipulates the cylinders to liftthe plate into; the position of Figure 9 in which position the plate iseane /e ready to be withdrawn from the corrugating press. Specialmechanism for this purpose is provided as follows:

Track rails '70 are located on the side of the corrugating pressopposite to rails 18 in such position that the plate 14- removed l romposition l-jlmoves along these rails.

Parallel to the rails TO other rails 72 are provided on which travels acar 74: suitably propelled by any suitable means as for instanceelectric motor- '76. Overhanging the side of this car'la a truss T8exteni'ling over to the center line of the rails "(O at which point isplaced a gripping tong mechanism consisting of a fined jaw having asharpened wedge shaped point 82 adapted to pass from the position ofFigure 4 to that of Figure 5 with the result that the plate 1% is liftedup as shown in Figure 5. Pivoted to this jaw 80 is another aw 8 Lmanipulatable by a lever 86 adapted to be pulled upward by the operationof an electric solenoid 88 carried in a suitable irame 90'011 the truss78. In the operation or this part of the device of the mechanism just described the parts normally stand in the position shown in Figure 2. hena finished plate is to be removed from the press the operatormanipulatesthe motor 76 to advance the tone;- mechanism first to the position ofFigure 4, then to that of Figure 5, whereupon he operates the solenoidS8 to grip the plate and hold it. He now manipulates the motor 76, todrive the carfiel in the opposite direction, thus withdrawing the plate1a from position 14? out of the press and over onto the rail 70 fromwhich it is removed and further handled by any suitable mechanism, asfor instance that shown in'said prior patent application.

In actual practice the mechanism of this invention has been used inconnection with hat of said prior application to comme1=- cially producevery large savings in connection with the manufacture of plates of thisclass.

The term truss, used in the claims, is not used in any limited sense butgenerically to cover any rigid arm in the position of member 34. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In mechanism of the class described in combination with a track alongwhich a sheet is to be moved, another track parallel to the first track,a car adapted to travel along the second track. a truss carried by thecar extending over across the first track means supported by the trussadapted to engage a sheet on the first track whereby movement of the caron the second track propels the sheet on the first track, and a pivotalmounting for the sheet engaging means, permitting it to tilt in avertical plane to follow vertical movement of a sheet being moved.

2. In mechanism or" the class described, in combination with a trackalong which a sheet is: to be moved, another tract: parallel to thefirst track on a different level, a car adapted to travel along thesecond track, a truss carried by the car extending over across the firsttrack. means supported by the truss adapted to engage a sheet on thefirst track whereby movement of the car on the second track propels thesheet on the first track. and a pivotal mounting for the sheet engagingmeans, permitting it to tilt in a vertical plane to tollow verticalmovement of a sheet beingmoved.

3. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a trackalong which a sheet is to be moved. another track parallel to the firsttrack, a car adapted to travel along the second track, a truss carriedby the car extending over across the first track, means supported by thetruss adapted to en gage a sheet on the first track whereby movement ofthe car on the second track propels the sheet on the first track, powermeans for driving the car and a pivotal mounting for the sheet engagingmeans, permitting it to tilt in a vertical plane to follow verticalmovement of a sheet being moved.

4. In mechanism Oil the class described, in combination with a trackalong which a sheet is to be moved, another track parallel to the firsttrack on a different level, a car adapted to travel along the secondtrack, a truss carried by the car extending over across the first track,means supported by the truss adapted to engage a sheet on the firsttrack: whereby movement of the car on the second. track propels thesheet on the first track. means for propelling the car in eitherdirection along its track. and a pivotal mounting for the sheet engagingmeans, permitting it to tilt in a vertical plane to follow verticalmovement of a sheet being moved.

In mechanism of the class described. in combination with a track alongwhich a sheet is to be moved, another track parallel to the first track.a car adapted to travel along the second track. a truss carried by thecar extending over across the first track, means supported by the trussadapted to enga a sheet on the first track whereby movement of the caron the second track propels the sheet on the first track. a pivotalmount--- ing for the sheet engaging; means. permitting it to tilt in aviij'tical plane to follow vertical movement ot a sheet being moved, andmeans tending to hold said. plate enga ing means at a given normallevel.

6. In mechanism at the class described, in combination with a trackalone which a sheet is to be moved, another tra clr parallel to thefirst track on a difierent level. car adapted to travel along the secondtrack, a

truss carried by the car extending over across the first track, meanssupported by the truss adapted to engage a sheet on the first trackwhereby movement of the car on the second track propels the sheet on thefirst track. a pivotal mounting for the sheet engaging means, permittingit to tilt in a vertical plane to follow vertical movement of a sheetbeing moved, and means tending to hold said plate engaging means at agiven normal level.

'7. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a trackalong which a sheet is to be moved, another track parallel to the firsttrack, a car adapted to travel along the second track, a truss carriedby the car extending over across the first track, means supported by thetruss adapted to engage a sheet on the first track whereby movement ofthe car on the second track propels the sheet on the first track, meansfor propelling the car in either direction along its track, a pivotalmounting for the sheet engaging means, permitting it to tilt in avertical plane to follow vertical movement of a sheet being moved, andmeans tending to hold said plate engaging means at a given normal level.

8. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with track alongwhich a sheet is to be moved, another track parallel to the first trackon a difi'erent level, a car adapted to travel along the second track, atruss carried by the car extending); over across the first track, meanssupported by the truss adapted to engage a sheet on the first trackwhereby movement of the car on the second track propels the sheet on thefirst track, means't'or propelling; the car in either direction alongits track. a pivotal mounting for the sheet engaging means, permittingit to tilt in a vertical plane to follow vertical movement of a sheetbeing moved, and means tending to hold said plate engaging means at agiven normal level.

9. In mechanism of the class described, a car, means for propelling it,a truss extending from the car to one side thereof. a frame pivoted onthe end of the truss to tilt up and down in a plane parallel to thedirection of movement of the car. means at one end of the frame forengaging sheet, and means nor mally holding the frame in onepredetermined tilted position.

10. In mechanism of the class described. a car. means for propcllino:it, a truss extending from the car to one side thereof. a frame pivotedon the end oi. the truss to tilt up and down in a plane parallel to thedirection of movement of the car, means at one end of the frame forengaging): a sheet, and counterweight normally holdin the trame in onepredetermined tilted position.

11. In mechanism oi the class described, a car, means for propelling it,an arm extending from the 0211', a frame pivoted on the end In Witnesswhereof, I have hereunto subof the arm to tilt up and down in a planescribed my name in the presence of two Wit-- parallel to the directionof movement of the nesses.

can, means at. one end of the frame for en- 6 gaging a sheet and meansnormally holding the frame in one predetermined, tilted position.

WILLIAM A. LACKE. /Vitnesses DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, VELNA GRIFFITH.

